


Pioneers

by Armin_05



Series: PJO songfics [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan
Genre: (They still can but they don't), But they actually don't sing this time!, College!AU, F/M, Grover drives a minivan, Kinda sorta cause they're mortals, Kinda sorta set in the Priceless au, Mortals!AU, Percy and Annabeth are engaged, Percy's an idiot who doesn't know not to run out into traffic, Piper makes the BestTM hot chocolate, Punk!Percy - Freeform, Songfic, the radio does
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-11
Updated: 2018-09-11
Packaged: 2019-07-10 22:20:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,228
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15958742
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Armin_05/pseuds/Armin_05
Summary: After an argument, Percy and Annabeth go to their respective best friends, Grover and Piper. Then they reconcile. To the tune of "Pioneers" by For King and Country.*prompts welcome*





	Pioneers

**Author's Note:**

  * For [warriorcat04](https://archiveofourown.org/users/warriorcat04/gifts), [Lovelove100pet](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lovelove100pet/gifts).



> So, welcome. Originally, I was asked for Leo to be the one to talk to Percy, but that doesn't really fit their canon dynamic, and also I love Grover, so he switched with Leo.  
> So anyway, let me know what you think, and if you have a song and prompt that you'd like me to write, (but you must have both song and prompt) then let me know down in the comments below! These take like a day to write if I really focus, and only so long cause I tend not to. It's good practice for me anyway ^_^  
> Hope you enjoy!

The sky hung low in the sky, fat, gray clouds threatening rain but not acting on it. Shadows were a figment of the imagination, light a thing of the past. Strangers kept a wide berth from the young latina man who stalked the streets of Manhatten, kept their heads down, faces blending together.

 

One Perseus Jackson barely noticed hands shoved into the pockets of his leather jacket, jet black hair falling into sharp green eyes. A scowl sat on his face, just a hint of the irritation burning its way through his chest. He had no particular destination in mind, he just needed to _move_ , preferably until he could no longer feel.

 

It was stupid, ridiculous really. Just a _stupid stupid_ argument, there was no _reason for him to be this mad_ but he was and just needed to _get it out_. He'd run, but there were too many people, too many cars, too many too many to _o many_.

 

If he ran, he'd forget to watch. He'd forget to check. He couldn't do that. Not now.

 

Some rich, white, arrogant jerk of a preppy jock who thought too much of himself had been disrespecting a woman, and then purposefully attempted to push Percy's buttons when he stepped in. The lady and her friends had escaped, and, seeing that, the rich white _dirtbag_ had gotten angry, even worse so at Percy sassing him, that he threw the first punch, leading to a large fight in the Starbucks on the college campus.

 

Both of them had gotten disciplinary warnings, despite the witnesses' insistence that it wasn't Percy's fault. Then he'd had to go back to the dorm he and Annabeth shared, and tell her what happened. She had not been happy, and they had started arguing. Percy had turned and left five minutes in.

 

A horn honked nearby. He ignored it. Traffic was horrible, being that it was just after six in the evening. He'd heard at least five horns honk before that one.

 

It blared again, a distinct, ugly alarm that sounded vaguely like a dying duck. Percy recognized it, only one person had such an ugly alarm. He turned his head to see his best friend since freshman year of high school, Grover Underwood, leaning out of his minivan, waving enthusiastically to get Percy's attention.

 

“Percy!” The redhead yelled when he looked over. His expression dimmed when he saw Percy's expression. He looked in his rearview mirror, then hit what must have been the unlock. He leaned out the window again. “Dude! Get in.”

 

Percy hesitated. Irritation still clung to him like a leech, and he still wanted to just _run_ , but he also hadn't seen Grover in a year, since the guy was busy with his Social Works degree at a different college.

 

Another horn blared. Percy made his decision. He ran around into traffic, while some random stranger yelled at him to _“Watch it!”._ Percy made a rude gesture in their general direction without looking as he climbed in the minivan.

 

“Enchiladas are in the cooler.” Grover told him, indicating the backseat. Percy twisted to see the red and white cooler that Grover kept perpetually kept in his van, filled with vegan enchiladas and sodas. His stomach reminded him he hadn't eaten since lunch. He opened it and pulled out a random ziplock bagged enchilada, along with a Pepsi.

 

“That one should have lettuce-” Grover rattled off a few other ingredients as Percy buckled his seat belt. Percy took a bite. He didn't care what was in it, Grover always made good enchiladas. He was right, and within minutes it was gone. He leaned back in the seat.

 

“Feel better?” Grover asked sympathetically. “What happened?”

 

“...Annabeth and I had a fight.” Not a common occurrence. He crossed his arms, still irritated.

 

“Let me guess, you got into a fist fight and got a disciplinary warning.” Grover stated drily.

 

“You know me too well.”

 

“I _have_ known you since freshman year of high school. If I recall correctly, you got into exactly thirteen different fights before you got kicked out.” Ah yes, freshman year. One of the only years of high school that Percy stayed in one school longer than six months. He'd met both Grover and Annabeth there, and kept contact after he left.

 

“Twelve, actually. That last one was a false rumor.” One started by a preppy jerk similar to the one he just fought. And of course, everyone believed him because it's _that punk kid Percy Jackson's_ word against the most popular student's.

 

“Right. Twelve.” Grover turned on his blinker, moving slowly through the traffic. “Well, I caught you at a good time.”

 

“How so?” Percy stared out the window as the scenery passed by.

 

“I have nowhere to be and gas to spare.:

 

“Oh.” Driving slowly through traffic with his best friend wasn't at all how he'd planned to spend the day, but Grover had always been good at knowing what Percy really needed. If he thought driving through traffic without a destination was the best way to calm Percy down, then it was the best way to calm Percy down.

 

And he'd been angry at Annabeth long enough. She didn't deserve that.

 

Grover turned on the radio.

 

 

Annabeth put the car in park, looking into the rearview mirror at the apartment complexes. From where she sat, she could see Piper McLean standing on her small balcony, waiting. With her wallet in her back pocket, her phone in her front, she took the keys out of the ignition.

 

Piper waved as Annabeth walked across the parking lot, taking the stairs two at a time. At the top, Piper pulled her into a hug. Annabeth wrapped her arms around the girl, relaxing slightly.

 

“I made hot chocolate. What happened? Your text didn't explain all that well.” Piper asked, opening her door. Annabeth toed off her shoes, setting her keys in the basket Piper kept there. The apartment smelled of the hot chocolate she had just made.

 

“Percy and I had a fight.” She answered, collapsing on Piper's couch. Leo wasn't there, surprisingly. Piper's adopted little brother was over most times that Annabeth was, playing video games or fixing one of the many things that had broken over the two years Piper had lived there.

 

“What happened?” Piper asked, stepping into the kitchen to grab two mugs.

 

“Some guy was harassing a girl, and he stepped in.” Annabeth accepted the mug she was offered, wrapping her hands around it. It was orange, with a black pegasus on the side.

 

“So what's the problem?” Piper prompted, sitting on the couch beside her. Annabeth took a sip of the hot chocolate first.

 

“...He got a disciplinary. His forth in two years.” She closed her eyes in irritation. “If he gets another he could face expulsion.”

 

Piper nodded sympathetically. Annabeth carried on.

 

“And it's sweet that he stepped in but he doesn't seem to _care_ that he could get expelled. If he does there's no telling what college would accept him. Definitely not one near here.” They could work a long-range relationship, but Annabeth doesn't _want_ to. She stared at the engagement ring on her finger, frustrated.

 

“That would put a damper on the wedding.” Piper remarked in amusement, also looking at the ring. It's beautiful, not over-the-top or large, a simple, small “Millenial's Diamond” set onto a thin gold ring. Annabeth nodded in agreement.

 

They were set to be married in the fall of next the next school year. Percy had proposed just a few months ago, at Christmas. He'd been so adorably awkward, blushing and stuttering until Annabeth had just decided not to wait for him to get the words out.

 

Without thinking, she found herself smiling fondly at the memory. Piper snorted softly, leaning forward to put a hand on Annabeth's.

 

“You guys will work it out. It's just a stupid argument, every couple has them. By tonight he'll be begging for your forgiveness. It's been that way as long as I've known you.” She said softly. Annabeth nodded. Piper leaned back, turning to the table beside her couch.

 

And turned on the radio.

 

_“-nd next up, our song of the hour, Pioneers.”_ The radio host said. The first notes floated through, and Annabeth closed her eyes again.

 

In Grover's minivan, the two boys were silent as the first notes floated through the radio. Scratchy and distorted due to Grover's old radio, but recognizable. A beating rhythm next to a tambourine.

 

_/I am here, you are there/_

_/Lying side by side/_

_/Out of touch/_

_/Out of reach/_

_/In the great divide/_

_/Parallel lines/_

_/Ooh/_

 

The artist's voice was soothing. Annabeth opened her eyes again as Piper leaned against her, sipping her hot chocolate.

 

**/Hear the rain, count the drops/**

**/On the window pane/**

**/Wide awake, stale mate/**

**/Why do we play this game?/**

**/Oh God I hate this game/**

 

The low gray clouds finally acted on their promise, pouring onto the streets without a care for who might be caught under them without an umbrella. The city lights blurred through the side window. The windshield wipers added another beat to the song. Grover nodded his head along.

 

_/Throw open the door/_

 

Annabeth sighed, leaning her head against Piper's.

 

**/You know my heart is yours/**

 

Without realizing it, at two separate points in the city, they had started listening to the same song. Percy watched people scrambling for cover, noting a flower shop with flowers getting drenched outside the front doors. Annabeth sipped her hot chocolate.

 

_**/What are we waiting for?/** _

_**/Yeah/** _

 

Percy blinked as the flower shop faded out of view. What _was_ he doing here?

 

_**/Let's be pioneers/** _

_**/And we'll build our home/** _

_**/In the great unknown/** _

_**/Yeah/** _

_**/Let's be pioneers/** _

 

Annabeth's mind floated back to when she and Percy had just started dating, and she'd discovered a talent of his that he'd never shown anyone before.

 

The talent for music. He could sing and play piano better than anyone else Annabeth knew. He's written a song for her, and played it. She knew the words by heart, even now.

 

**/There's a song that we sang/**

**/On our honeymoon/**

**/I remember all the words/**

**/But forgot the tune/**

**/Why are we out of tune?/**

 

Grover and Piper glanced over at their respective best friends, shaking their heads. If they knew anything about the two of them...

 

/ _Let's forgive and let's forgive again/_

/ _I'm reaching out to/_

_/My sweetest friend/_

_/Can we start again?/_

 

Aaaand there it was. Grover didn't even look up when he heard the door slam shut, and the sound of several drivers stomping on their breaks because of the idiot who had just dashed into traffic.

 

Piper smiled as she felt Annabeth tense. She shifted off of her.

 

_**/Throw open the door/** _

_**/You know my heart is yours/** _

_**/What are we waiting for?/** _

_**/Yeah/** _

 

If she hadn't been expecting it, Piper would have dropped the mug shoved roughly into her hands with a quick apology. A moment, a curse, and then the door shut. No keys jangled. Piper raised her eyebrows, resolving to pick up her friend later for her car. At least she remembered her shoes.

 

_**/Let's be pioneers/** _

_**/And we'll build our home/** _

_**/In the great unknown/** _

_**/Yeah/** _

_**/Let's be pioneers/** _

 

Percy barely remembered to pay for the flowers. If it had been possible, he'd have been flying down the sidewalk. There was no one in his way anymore.

 

_**/And we'll build our home/** _

_**/In the great unknown/** _

_**/Yeah/** _

 

Annabeth didn't even feel the raindrops hitting her skin, soaking her clothes. If her life was a movie, this would have been her dramatic apology scene. Her P.T Barnaby “From Now On” scene in _The Greatest Showman_.

 

_**/Let's be pioneers/** _

 

Percy swerved onto the street leading to Piper McLean's apartment. His lungs burned and petals occasionally trailed behind like a wedding veil, except for an apology. An apology veil.

 

**/Let's be pioneers/**

 

Annabeth couldn't see. She ran into someone running the way she'd just come. They toppled, backwards for her, forwards for them. They twisted, placing themselves under her, landing with an _“Umph-!”_

 

It took her a moment, but she placed the voice. “Percy!”

 

Her fiance blinked up at her. His hair stuck to his forehead, and he blinked several times due to the rain falling on his face. “...Annabeth?”

 

Percy blinked up at the blonde. Her ponytail fell over one shoulder, and wisps of hair clung to her face. Raindrops slid down, dripping off her nose, her chin, eyelashes.

 

She looked absolutely gorgeous.

 

He blinked, overwhelmed by how beautiful she was, before remembering why he'd been running. “Annabeth! Annabeth I'm so sorry you were right, I shouldn't have gotten angry, please forgive me-”

 

“Shut _up_ Seaweed Brain.” She smirked around breathless gasps for air. Percy pulled them both to their feet, looking around for the flowers he'd dropped.

 

“Looking for something?” A stranger walked up, holding the boquet he'd bought. The stranger handed them back with a wink, walking off. Percy blinked, turning to Annabeth.

 

“I, uh, got you these.” He said, offering them. She blinked, laughed as she took them. A whisper of a song floated through the raindrops.

 

“They're beautiful.” Annabeth replied, admiring them. She looked so gorgeous, standing there, that Percy had to lean forward and kiss her.

 

And again.

 

And the rain poured.

 

 


End file.
